News Broadcasting
Sonu Sood turns TV host for Good News Today
Mumbai: Actor Sonu Sood who made headlines for his humanitarian contributions during the migrant crisis at the peak of the pandemic is all set to make his debut as a TV anchor for India Today Group’s Good News Today. He will go live at 9 p.m every evening as the host of the channel’s signature programme titled “Desh ki Baat Sunata Hoon”.
The one-hour program will feature inspirational stories of human triumph from across the length and breadth of the country. These will be the stories of people, who make our country proud with their struggle, determination and achievement and inspire many others to aim for higher goals, said the channel in a statement on Monday.
Welcoming Sonu Sood on board, India Today Group, vice-chairperson, Kalli Purie said, “He has touched humanity with his actions during the pandemic and emerged as a source of positive energy and inspiration. He personifies the intent of our channel Good News Today. His presence on the channel amalgamates our efforts to bring about more good news and the following smiles.”
The news channel with an affirmative leaning – Good News Today rests on the motto of ‘acchi khabar, sacchi khabar’- true stories that foster goodwill and unite audiences in their higher purpose.
News Broadcasting
News TV viewership jumps 33 per cent as West Asia war draws audiences
BARC Week 8 data shows news share rising to 8 per cent despite T20 World Cup
NEW DELHI:Â Even as individual television news channel ratings remain under a temporary pause, the genre itself is seeing a clear surge in audience attention.
According to the latest data from Broadcast Audience Research Council India, television news recorded a 33 per cent jump in genre share in Week 8 of 2026, covering February 28 to March 6.
The news genre accounted for 8 per cent of total television viewership during the week, up from 6 per cent the previous week. The spike in attention coincided with escalating geopolitical tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran, which have kept global headlines firmly fixed on West Asia.
The rise is notable because it came at a time when cricket was dominating television screens. The high-stakes stages of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, including the Super 8 fixtures and semi-finals, were being broadcast during the same period.
Despite the cricket frenzy, viewers appeared to be toggling between sport and global affairs, boosting the overall share of news programming.
The surge in genre share comes even as the government has enforced a one-month pause on publishing ratings for individual news channels. The move followed regulatory scrutiny of the television ratings ecosystem.
While channel-level rankings remain temporarily out of sight, the genre-level data suggests that when global tensions escalate, audiences continue to turn to television news for real-time updates.
